The present disclosure relates to a funnel liquid shield and sensor for use in brewing funnels of a beverage making apparatus. The liquid shield is moveably attached to the funnel. The sensor detects at least one of a presence and absence of liquid in the funnel and is used to provide a signal to at least one of lock or unlock the funnel from the beverage making apparatus or provide a signal corresponding to the condition of liquid in the funnel.
A variety of brewing funnels are available which are used to support filter papers or reusable/permanent filters containing a beverage brewing substance, such as tea or ground coffee. Typically, a brewing funnel is attached to a brewing apparatus such that heated water can be sprayed over the brewing substance to infuse the substance and produce a liquid brewed beverage. The bottom of the funnel is configured with an aperture to allow the brewed beverage to drain from the bottom of the funnel into a carafe or pot positioned therebelow.
Brewing funnels normally should remain in the brewing apparatus throughout the brewing cycle until the entire volume of brewed beverage has drained therefrom. However, in a traditional brewing apparatus, it is possible for a user to remove the brewing funnel from the brewing apparatus prior to complete draining of the brewed beverage from the brewing funnel. When this occurs, a slurry of the heated water, brewing substance and/or brewed beverage retained in the funnel may slosh out of the funnel when it is removed. Commonly, brewing funnels have a handle which is held by the user's hand when putting the brewing funnel into or removing it from the brewing apparatus. If a user does not act with caution when removing the brewing funnel, the slurry of heated water, brewing substance and/or brewed beverage may slosh onto the user's hand.
An object of the present invention is to provide a liquid shield for use with a brewing funnel to prevent unintentional escape of brewing substance and water from the funnel.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a funnel including a liquid shield to prevent unintentional escape of brewing substance and water from the funnel.
A further object of the present invention is to provide structure for easily moving a liquid shield of a brewing funnel out of a mouth of the associated brewing funnel, and thereby out of a flow path of a filter and brewing substance inside the brewing funnel, for cleaning or for when the funnel is inverted for disposal of the filter and spent grounds.
A further object of the present invention is to position a liquid shield on a brewing funnel so that it does not interfere with the placement of the brewing funnel in the brewing apparatus when the liquid shield is located within the circumference of the brewing funnel.
Another object of the present invention is to configure the liquid shield to interfere with the placement of the brewing funnel in the brewing apparatus when the liquid shield has been displaced from the brewing funnel.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a brewing funnel lock that prohibits movement of the brewing funnel until a sensor of the brewing apparatus detects substantially all of the liquid in the brewing funnel has drained out of the funnel.
Another object of the present invention is to position a sensor to electronically detect whether liquid in the brewing funnel has been emptied or drained from the funnel and to notify the user whether the funnel has been emptied based on the detection by the sensor.
Additional features of the present disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of illustrative embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the disclosure as presently perceived.